


Operation Alpha

by teatimetaemint



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - A/B/O, Alternate Universe - College/University, Friendship, M/M, Romance, slightly different take on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 16:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3856798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teatimetaemint/pseuds/teatimetaemint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are benefits to being in love with your best friend – Sehun is sure of it. He just has to figure out what they are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Operation Alpha

The university's coffee shop was even more crowded than usual and Sehun thought the mixture of smells must have been downright overwhelming for Luhan, as they queued up for their morning drinks. Even as a beta Sehun felt himself shift uncomfortably and he was a lot let less sensitive to these kind of sensory stimuli than the alpha next to him. A quick side-glance at his friend told him that he was right. Luhan looked outwardly calm, but there was an unusual tightness to his shoulders, to the way the muscles of his arms tensed beneath the sleeves of his shirt.  
  
The next moment Sehun's train of thought was interrupted by a fleeting breeze of fresh air, followed by the sweet, musky scent of burnt sugar and apples that announced the arrival of more customers. _Omega_. Sehun's brows wrinkled with an unhappy frown as the two girls got into line behind them, uncomfortably close to Luhan – and judging by the quick exchange of smug glances, it had been on purpose.  
  
His body was basically reacting on its own as he took a step towards his friend and squeezed himself between the slightly shorter man and the blonde behind him, completely ignoring her indignant squawk of protest. Hooking his arms around Luhan's neck, he draped himself over the alpha's back, quite content with the turn of events as he felt – and heard – the girls taking a clearly annoyed step back. Luhan let out a huff of protest, but didn't pry Sehun off or twist out of his grasp, so the young beta allowed himself a tiny, but extremely satisfied grin.  
  
Unfortunately, the feeling of accomplishment was frustratingly short-lived, as he glanced down at Luhan's phone, chin hooked over the older man's shoulder, and read the name on the open kkt chat.  
  
 _Give me a break._  
  
"Who's Hani?" Keeping his tone carefully nonchalant was almost impossible at the feeling of possessive jealousy surging up inside of him.  
  
"2nd year literature major. She helped me out with one of my essays last semester and she wanted to know if I felt like catching a movie with her."  
  
Sehun forced himself not to tense up, doing his best not to let his dissatisfaction bleed into his voice. "What did you say?"  
  
He was practically holding his breath as he waited for Luhan's reply, but infuriatingly it took the alpha several seconds to answer. By the time he shoved his phone into the back pocket of his jeans, wedging his hand between his backside and a clingy Sehun, who was entirely unwilling to move away, the beta was ready to shake the answer out of him.  
  
"I said thanks, but no thanks."  
  
And that was when Sehun realized he had been entirely unsuccessful at sticking to his 'no-tensing-up' rule, because the words had him melting against Luhan's back with an internal sigh of relief. If his friend noticed he didn't comment on it and Sehun wasn't sure if he was relieved or annoyed.  
  
"I see."  
  
Burying his nose in the curve of Luhan's neck as they shuffled two awkward steps forward in their line, he drew in the heady scent of _alpha_ with a content little mewl.  
  
"What exactly are you doing, kid?"  
  
Luhan's voice was exasperated, the underlying traces of indulgence just barely recognizable, but Sehun hardly noticed, scrunching up his nose at the familiar nickname. The beta didn't even bother to pull back for his answer, mumbling a barely audible reply against Luhan's skin. “Smelling you, what do you think I'm doing?"  
  
There was a brief pause, before the alpha let out an amused snort and reached up to ruffle Sehun's hair in the same way he always did. Affectionate, not too rough, but not exactly careful either and Sehun found himself caught between abject misery and quiet delight. Damn the guy for still thinking of him as a kid.  
  
"You're such a weirdo, Sehunnie."  
  
Just barely biting back a whine of both protest and appreciation, Sehun simply nuzzled deeper into the curve of Luhan's neck and let the warm sounds of Luhan's chuckles wash over him.  
  
  
  
  
There wasn't a lot Sehun could do about Luhan's lack of romantic feelings for him and the beta knew it. They had been friends for so many years and he had never made a secret of his feelings for the alpha, had never held back when it came to his basically all-consuming need to touch and be close to him. But even though Luhan never protested, never moved away or rejected Sehun's touch, he had also never shown any signs of seeing Sehun as more than a little brother. It was infuriating on so many levels.  
  
Short of walking up to Luhan and telling him point-blank that he wanted to be his mate, not just a friend, there wasn't really anything he could do. And as unapologetic and open he was about his touches and constant need to be with Luhan, he would never be able to work up the courage to be _that_ daring. He loved Luhan, he wanted Luhan, but he didn't think he would be able to deal with rejection from him. Sehun thought that spending the rest of his life being nothing more than the closest kind of friends would still be better than living with the knowledge that Luhan didn't want him. That he wasn't good enough for the alpha.  
  
He was being a damned coward and he knew it.  
  
Punching in the code at the door of his apartment with a little more force than necessary, Sehun waited for the low beep, before he pushed open the door and shuffled into the spacious hallway, taking note of the two pairs of shoes lying in a sloppy heap next to the door and adding his own as he kicked them off with a quiet huff of annoyance.  
  
It hadn't always been like this for Sehun. Most of his life he had been perfectly happy with Luhan looking at him as nothing more than a friend. They had basically grown up together and having the alpha take care of him had felt right, just the way it should have been. It was only a few years ago that his feelings for Luhan had slowly started to change. There hadn’t been one big, stunning realization of being in love with him. Instead it had been a rising, steady realization, taking root in the beta’s chest and spreading out until it was deeply entrenched in every part of his existence.  
  
Sometimes, on days like these, when the one-sidedness of his feelings gnawed at him with a relentlessness that seemed to want to make up for years of dormancy, he almost wished he could make them go away. Make himself feel less for Luhan and make all of his problems disappear with one clean stroke. But that would be like admitting defeat and Sehun hated losing almost as much as he hated the twisting in his gut whenever he saw someone else approaching Luhan with an obvious invitation in their eyes.  
  
Well aware of the scowl on his face, he didn't even bother to conceal it as he shuffled into the living room where his roommates were busy battling each other on their Xbox. The room was filled with Jongin’s curses and Tao’s gleeful laughter, but for once Sehun wasn’t in the mood to stay and watch the two alphas snarl at each other over the result of the game. Passing by the couch, he thought he might actually make it to his room without having to acknowledge his friends’ existence, when the sound of Jongin’s voice, made deeper than usual by the unhappy growl after losing to his best friend _once again_ , had him stopping in the open doorway.  
  
“Chanyeol called a few minutes ago. We’re all meeting up at Jongdae’s place on Sunday and Luhan’s bringing the food.”  
  
Sehun acknowledged the news with a low grunt, but didn’t bother to turn around. There was a reason people tended to avoid him when he was in a bad mood and Sehun knew it was because he usually behaved like a grumpy hedgehog – all prickly and defensive. Fortunately – or unfortunately, depending on the situation – his roommates had stopped being fazed by his moods a long time ago.  
  
“There’s leftover pizza in the fridge. Eat, take a shower and then tell us what’s got your panties in a twist.”  
  
And with that it was Sehun’s turn to bite back an irritated growl, as he whirled around to glare at his two best friends, who were now both staring at him with twin expressions of fake innocence.  
  
 _Goddamn alphas._  
  
  
  
  
The beta woke to a warm weight on his chest pinning him down on the bed and a leg thrown over his thighs. He woke to dark hair tickling his nose, an alarming shortage of oxygen and the feeling of both his best friends sandwiching him in his own bed.  
  
“What the heck?”  
  
Half wheezing, half growling at the claustrophobic sensation he twisted around, purposefully shooting out his elbows and within seconds he had two cursing, sleep-rumpled alphas scrambling to an upright position and glaring down at him.  
  
“What the hell was that for?”  
  
“I could ask you the same thing. What the hell are you guys doing in my bed?”  
  
“We’re comforting you. What does it look like we’re doing?” Tao’s voice was grumpy, still thick with sleep, as he rubbed the obviously smarting spot on his stomach, and the look on his face told Sehun that he was far from impressed by the beta’s lack of appreciation for their ‘helpful’ gesture.  
  
“If you want to comfort me then buy me ice cream and other unhealthy food and force me to watch ridiculously sappy movies with you. Smothering me in my sleep is not the way to go,” Sehun muttered, as he did his best to untangle his legs from the sheets. “Apart from that, I don’t need comforting. I’m fine.”  
  
The ‘who are you trying to kid’ look on Jongin’s face would have been more effective if his cheek hadn’t been decorated by an impressive pillow crease, but even with the ridiculous imprint on his skin Sehun found himself withering a bit under the direct stare.  
  
“You came back home last night all mopey and scowly. You know, with that ‘Luhan still hasn’t ravished me’ look of yours.” The alpha’s tone, more than his actual words, told Sehun that he was fooling no one.  
  
Sadly that also included himself.  
  
Sinking back down onto the mattress with a quiet huff, he didn’t even bother with a complaint as Jongin settled in with him, long torso draped over Sehun in a way that had his friend’s soft hair tickling the underside of his chin again.  
  
“I think it’s time for more drastic measures.”  
  
Tao’s ominous words had Sehun looking up from where he’d been fussing with the sleeve of Jongin’s sleepshirt, the first tendrils of alarm spreading through his chest, at the sly expression on his friend’s face.  
  
“Don’t say ‘drastic measures’ with that look on your face. It gives me the creeps,” Jongin huffed, shifting his weight off Sehun and burrowing into his side as if he could actually hide behind the beta’s bony body.  
  
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Jongin is right.”  
  
The words were barely out, but Jongin’s fingers already dug into his side in retaliation, making Sehun yelp in protest, before he attempted to pin the alpha in a one armed head lock. His friend had several pounds and plenty of muscles on him, but Sehun had always been the faster one and within seconds they were wrestling on the bed, rolling around and trying their best to trap each other against the springy mattress.  
  
“When you’re both done with your ridiculous puppy fight, I suggest you listen to me,” Tao’s voice cut through the cacophony of cursing, hissing and choked-up laughter, tone bored from having to witness the same thing several times a week. “I think you should start spending more time with another alpha.”  
  
The words were enough to have Jongin and Sehun breaking away from each other, breathing entirely unsteady, faces flushed, hair a mess and eyes questioning as they settled on Tao, where he was still sitting and looking down at them with long-suffering exasperation.  
  
“But he does that all the time. _We’re_ alphas.”  
  
The look Tao gave Jongin was almost pitying.  
  
“Yeah, but Luhan is already way too used to us. He knows nothing would ever happen.”  
  
“Are you suggesting I should try to make him jealous?”  
  
The mere thought had anxiety spiking in Sehun’s gut.  
  
“Well… you could try. You’re always whining about how you’ll never be ready to get rejected by him, about being too much of a wimp to confess. This could be your chance to, you know, test the waters and find out if he cares that you’re starting to spend time with someone that isn’t him. If he does, chances are he probably won’t shoot you down completely if you tell him you want to marry him and have his babies… figuratively speaking.”  
  
Sending Tao a withering glare and completely disregarding the _whining_ and _wimp_ comments, Sehun sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, a nervous habit he hadn’t been able to get rid of yet. Judging by the way his friend proceeded with his half coaxing, half lecturing speech, he had definitely picked up on it.  
  
“I’m not saying you should tell him you’re in love with someone else. That’d never work since you’re one of the worst liars I’ve ever come across, but it won’t hurt to stop clinging to his coat-tails for a while.”  
  
Sehun didn’t like the sound of that. He didn’t like it one bit.  
  
“I don’t know…”  
  
Even his all but deaf grandfather would have picked up on the reluctance in his voice.  
  
“I mean except for outright telling Luhan that you’re head over heels in love with him, you’ve made no secret of your feelings for him. How has that worked out for you so far?”  
  
It was a rhetorical question, of course. Tao and Jongin, more than anyone else, knew how tired Sehun was of being treated like a little brother by the alpha, so instead of rewarding his friend with an answer, he settled for shooting him a disgruntled glare. The slightly older man didn’t even blink, while Jongin just shifted closer to his side, undoubtedly on the brink of falling back asleep.  
  
“Maybe it’ll turn out he really just sees you as a friend, but maybe this is the little push he needs to realize that you mean more to him than that. I’m not saying this is going to make him fall for you, but if there’s something between you, it might help Luhan see that.” Sehun refused to acknowledge how much sense Tao was making. “Maybe it’ll backfire horribly, maybe it’ll turn out he really doesn’t see you as more than a friend, but at least you’ll know. At least you’ll be able to say you’ve _tried_ , instead of just sitting around and hoping things will magically solve themselves without you ever having to risk getting your heart broken.”  
  
The words stung more than Sehun wanted to admit. _Probably because they’re the truth_ , an annoying voice – that sounded entirely too much like Tao – whispered in the back of his head. He really hadn’t been doing anything, except for clinging to Luhan and complaining that nothing ever changed.  
  
Because he was _scared_. Scared out of his mind that confessing his feelings to Luhan wouldn’t just result in a rejection from the alpha, but maybe cost him their friendship as well – a friendship that was more important to him than anything else in the world.  
  
But Tao was right. Maybe it really was time to stop letting his cowardice get the better of him.  
  
“I still need an alpha who’d play along with that.”  
  
“Don’t worry, I know the perfect guy.”  
  
  
  
  
The perfect guy, as it turned out, went by the name of Zhang Yixing. The alpha Tao brought over the next evening was a few years older than Sehun and several inches shorter, with soft-looking black hair and a face that appeared both gentle and mischievous. Sehun had learned never to trust anything that came out of Tao’s mouth, but at first glance the beta thought his friend might have actually been spot-on with his claims of perfection. At least until the alpha opened his mouth.  
  
Yixing took one glance at him, eyes darkening with quiet alarm, “Okay, I’m in. I’ll help. What’s it gonna take to get that miserable look off your face?”  
  
And in the blink of an eye the tentative hope inside of Sehun went up in flames of exasperation.  
  
“I’m not even getting friend-zoned! People take one look at me and _BAM_ , instantly brother-zoned.” With a frustrated huff Sehun let himself slump back on the couch and crossed his arms, completely uncaring that his face was decorated by an undoubtedly embarrassing pout. “First Luhan, then Tao and Jongin, that hot TA in my chemical engineering class and now you as well! It’s like I just attract all the alphas that aren’t even remotely interested in me.”  
  
“Don’t snarl at people,” Jongin chided from his slightly curled-up position next to Sehun, where he was kind of hiding, kind of pretending to look out for his friend. The slightly older man usually had a hard time when it came to meeting new people and Sehun could tell that he didn’t feel comfortable with this unknown alpha in his apartment. “It’s not our fault you’re basically a giant baby.”  
  
Every other day, Sehun would have gotten back at the idiot he called his friend for the uncalled-for slander, but at that moment he was too distracted by the shorter alpha currently standing in front of him. Yixing looked genuinely upset at the prospect of having hurt Sehun’s feelings and the beta was completely taken by surprise by the sinking feeling of guilt the fallen expression set off in his stomach.  
  
“I really resent that I have to say this _again_ , but Jongin is right. Don’t mind me, I’m just bitter. I know you’re mated and it’s not like I want anyone but Luhan. It’s just… exasperating.”  
  
“I’m here to help.” Yixing’s voice was gentle – soothing – as he put a careful hand on Sehun’s shoulder, giving him plenty of time to avoid the touch if he wanted to. Sehun didn’t.  
  
There was something so calming and reassuring about the alpha’s strong scent. Maybe because it actually resembled Luhan’s so much – the earthy tones interwoven with the smell of the air, right before a storm. But where Luhan’s scent had his entire body coming alive, every cell of his body urging him to touch, to get closer and stay there, Yixing’s presence settled down the anxious part inside of him. Yixing smelled like _safety_ and even though he still found himself on the brink of a nervous meltdown every time he thought about Tao’s plan, about keeping things from Luhan, Sehun couldn’t help but feel just a little comforted.  
  
  
  
With Yixing in Jongin’s abandoned spot on the couch next to him, Tao in the armchair across the coffee table and Jongin settled down on the floor, thigh firmly pressed against Sehun’s shin, the beta couldn’t help but feel just a little claustrophobic. The impact of having three alphas in one room – and all of them completely focused on him – was a bit much, even for a beta like Sehun, who had never felt overly intimidated by alphas before.  
  
 _I seriously need more omega and beta friends. This can’t be good for my heart._  
  
“Tao already told me quite a bit about your plan, but why don’t you tell me what _you_ have in mind?”  
  
Yixing’s soft voice had Sehun jerking upright, gaze sweeping past Tao, who was looking at him with a challengingly raised eyebrow, before it settled on the alpha next to him.  
  
“Actually, I haven’t even decided if I’m going to go through with this. I wanted to meet you first. If I’m going to spend a lot of time with an alpha I want to make sure he’s not a complete asshole.”  
  
Surprisingly Yixing didn’t seem the slightest bit fazed by Sehun’s straightforwardness, when he’d met alphas – and some betas – that went straight for the throat at the first sign of someone criticizing them. But instead, his words sparked off the first real grin on Yixing’s face since he’d arrived at the apartment. And for a few moments, Sehun was completely mesmerized by the flash of the cutest dimples he had ever seen.  
  
“I think we’ll get along just fine, Oh Sehun.”  
  
 _Damn, he really is perfect._  
  
“What about your mate? What did he say about this?”  
  
“Ah,” Yixing hummed, eyes flashing with soft amusement. “He’s still in Japan, finishing his internship abroad, so he grilled me over Skype. He warned me he’d rip off my balls, as well as yours, if I tried anything with you. Then he told me to have fun and that I’d better be convincing, so I could help out the ‘little pup’. His words, not mine.”  
  
Sehun felt Jongin’s back tense, where he was leaning back against his legs, at the same time his own gaze jerked back to Yixing, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.  
  
“You don’t have to look so worried. Minseok’s just… different.” The way he said that last word, it might as well have been the highest praise, eyes gentle and sparkling with pure adoration.  
  
“Different? How?” Sehun croaked, almost afraid to ask,  
  
“He’s an omega, but he could kick alpha-ass in his sleep.”  
  
“Did he kick yours?” It was the first question Jongin had directed at Yixing and it had humor and low heat sparking in the older man’s eyes.  
  
“Depended on how nicely I asked.”  
  
Sehun couldn’t believe it, but the cheeky reply had an actual laugh bubbling up from his chest, when he’d barely had the motivation to a crack a smile these past days.  
  
“I’d like to talk to him.” The hesitant words got him a look of surprise from the man in front of him, eyelids coming down for one slow blink and then another one. “Like you said, he already knows all about this plan of ours, right?”  
  
“Of course, I tell Minseok everything.” There was no hesitation in those words and it had Sehun’s throat constricting with an acute stab of longing. _That_ was what he wanted. A bond that strong, that solid and built on mutual trust, like Yixing seemed to have with his mate. He craved the same bond with Luhan like he craved his next breath. It was a need so fundamentally woven into his existence, constantly simmering just below the surface, he could barely remember how things had been before he’d fallen for Luhan.  
  
“That’s why I want to talk to him myself and reassure him that I won’t make any moves on you.”  
  
Judging by the way Yixing’s eyes softened at the words, it had probably been the right thing to say.  
  
“He’s not worried, but I know he’d like to meet you.”  
  
  
  
  
Kim Minseok was, to put it shortly, intimidating as hell. Just by looking at him, Sehun would have immediately pegged him for an alpha, but a smiling Yixing had attested that, yes, Minseok was definitely an omega. His face on the screen in front of Sehun looked young, almost feline, but there was something about his gaze that told the beta that it would be a colossal mistake to get on Minseok's bad side. His eyes were sharp and alert as he listened to Sehun explain the situation with halting, clumsy words. Now and then Minseok spoke up to ask a question, but it was clear that he already knew most of what Sehun was telling him and it made the younger man feel like an unprepared student called out for a surprise quiz in front of his teacher.  
  
It was only when Yixing stepped up behind him to cross his arms on top of Sehun's head that the tight knot of apprehension in the beta's chest loosened a bit. At Sehun’s huff of protest at the sudden weight, the omega sent them an amused smirk across the screen and it changed his entire demeanor.  
  
"So, just to make it clear, I want no one but Luhan. I'm not gonna make any moves on your man. We'll just hang out as friends and - hopefully - make the idiot I'm in love with reconsider his 'just friends' stance." When he eventually fell silent, Minseok gave him a long, hard stare and Sehun was maybe a second away from squirming in his seat. Anything to ease the uncomfortable tension in his shoulders or distract himself from the queasy feeling in his stomach.  
  
"That's good to know. I trust Yixing, but I'd hate to have to come all the way to Korea just to kick your ass." Sehun listened to Yixing’s carefree chuckle from behind him, watched as Minseok softened the words with a surprisingly cheeky grin, the bright expression making him look even younger - but there was no doubt in Sehun's mind that the other man had been dead serious.  
  
Swallowing through a suddenly uncomfortably tight throat, Sehun finally understood what Yixing had meant when he'd said his mate was _different_.  
  
“And just some advice, kid,” Minseok added, making Sehun straighten up in his seat. “Don’t let Xing bully you too much. He may look and act like a total sweetheart most of the time, but he’s stealthier and more stubborn than any other alpha I know.”  
  
 _I know all about hard-headed alphas_ , Sehun thought, as he listened to Yixing’s mock gasps of outrage and Minseok’s unrestrained laughter. By now he barely noticed the steady tug of longing in his chest, his attention captured completely by the mated pair’s interactions.  
  
 _That’s what I could have. That’s what I want._  
  
He just needed Luhan to cooperate.  
  
  
  
  
“Relax.”  
  
Yixing’s voice was nearly drowned out by the sound of the old car passing them on the street, but Sehun’s ears still picked up on the amused, pacifying note in his tone. Not that it was actually going to help him calm down.  
  
“I haven’t really spent any real time with Luhan in three days - _three days_ \- and in a few minutes I’m supposed to act all nonchalant and _not clingy_. Don’t tell me to relax!”  
  
“Did you miss him that much?”  
  
“Yes.” A miserable whisper, as Sehun didn’t even bother with the attempt to deny a truth that was glaringly obvious to absolutely everyone, including himself.  
  
He hadn’t meant to be funny, but something must have amused the alpha next to him, because Yixing was grinning at him, eyes sparkling and dimples making an impressive appearance again.  
  
“It’s going to be fine, Sehun,” Yixing murmured reassuringly, giving the small of the beta’s back a few soft pats, and Sehun let himself slump a little against the alpha.  
  
Some of his anxiety was already fading, just from that blind reassurance, and Sehun was endlessly grateful that Yixing would be there the whole evening. He wasn’t entirely sure he would have been able to follow through with Tao’s plan of “stop acting like an oversized koala, you little shit” without the older man’s help. If there was one thing he was even worse at than lying, it was lying _to Luhan_ , the mere thought of deceiving him a sickening weight in his gut. But in some way – and mostly because of Yixing – this entire plan didn’t feel like a lie. Because in the end it _wasn’t_ one. He genuinely liked Yixing, had felt a connection from the beginning and knew the alpha thought the same way about him. Spending time with him and seeking his company weren’t just means to make Luhan jealous and that was fortunate as hell. Because if Tao’s prognosis of Luhan finally coming around wasn’t about to become a reality, then Sehun knew he would eventually have to get used to the thought of not being around Luhan all the time.  
  
After all, Luhan was an amazing catch and it was really just a matter of time before someone snatched him up. If it wasn’t Sehun, it would be someone else and staying at his side would become a thing of the past anyway. He might as well get used to it now.  
  
The thought of someone else with Luhan had his gut roiling with panic and seething jealousy, but the next moment – and entirely too soon, where Sehun was concerned – they reached the small house Jongdae had inherited from his grandparents and Yixing captured his undivided attention by ringing the bell the second they stepped up to the door.  
  
“What are you doing?” the beta hissed, frantically yanking at Yixing’s sleeve, but he knew it was already too late. “I’m not ready!”  
  
The look of pity the alpha sent him was entirely ruined by the spark of humor in those deceivingly angelic eyes.  
  
“Sehun, let’s be honest, you’ll never be ready. So there’s really no reason to waste any more time.”  
  
Yixing’s voice was infuriatingly calm, but before Sehun could swallow down the lump of panic in his throat and curse the alpha until his ears were ringing, the door in front of them was pulled open by Jongdae, the beta’s face alight with blatant curiosity.  
  
“Finally! We were all wondering why you didn’t show up with Tao and Jongin, but they said you’d be bringing _a friend_.” Jongdae’s gaze zeroed in on Yixing at that last part, one corner of his mouth tugging up in an appreciative smirk, “Sehun, you’ve been holding out on us. I didn’t know you had any friends other than us and not even Luhan could tell us what was going on. He said you were busy this week, but it seems you forgot to mention the reason.”  
  
Sehun had no idea how to reply to any of that, throat still closed up with a panic that was actually getting worse more than it was getting better. _If you can’t even open your mouth in front of Jongdae, what are you going to do with Luhan later?_ an all but hysterical voice screamed at him. But to his endless relief, Yixing didn’t seem to have the same problem.  
  
“Ah, yes. I’m afraid that was my fault. It hasn’t been long since I moved to Seoul and Sehun has been showing me around. I’m Yixing.”  
  
Jongdae looked alarmingly intrigued as he shook the alpha’s hand and it had the knots of nervousness in Sehun’s stomach tightening to an almost painful degree. He wasn’t even sure if he was relieved or if his nerves had just reached the point where they simply couldn’t get any worse, as Jongdae finally ushered them into the living room.  
  
“Try not to fling yourself at Luhan the second you see him,” Yixing whispered, low enough that only Sehun could hear him, and the beta couldn’t believe that he was actually _entertained_ when Sehun was ready to explode out of his skin with agitation.  
  
 _Easier said than done_ , was Sehun’s last coherent thought before the noise of the living room swallowed them up, loud greetings and laughter a startling onslaught on the beta’s abraded nerves. He reached out for Yixing like a drowning man grabbing for a lifeline when he found Luhan’s gaze from across the room, fingers curling into the warm fabric of Yixing’s sweater and holding on for dear life. Luhan was coming closer, crowding in like the rest of his friends and looking so good in his strategically ripped jeans and green, short-sleeved shirt that Sehun could actually feel the breath catch in his throat. The alpha’s eyes were focused entirely on Sehun, but there was a slight tension to his steps that told him that Luhan was wholly aware of the alpha next to him. But right at that moment he couldn’t even think about what that meant for their plan.  
  
Instead he was drinking in Luhan’s appearance, eyes tracing his form from his thick, dark hair – that looked as if he hadn’t bothered to do more than brush his fingers through the wet strands after getting out of the shower – all the way down to the toes of his grey sneakers. His body’s reaction to the alpha was immediate, heartbeat speeding up and chest seizing as if something was tugging him towards Luhan. He felt like a starving man being offered real food for the first time in _weeks_ , when it had technically only been three days since they had met up for coffee. He had somehow avoided being alone with the alpha since, they had still texted and eaten lunch at the cafeteria together, but it had never been just the two of them. Needless to say, it had been a bad week for Sehun.  
  
Now Luhan was right there in front of him, giving him a slow smile and his arm a little squeeze, in time with his familiar “hey there, Sehunnie”, and the beta was barely aware of returning the greeting and introducing Yixing with a miraculously steady voice.  
  
Normally Sehun would have already moved to Luhan’s side, getting comfortable in his personal space and pressing their arms together or downright curling himself around the shorter man. But despite his sheer overpowering urge to _move_ , Sehun actually managed to stay where he was, partially hidden behind Yixing’s back. And for a few seconds Luhan looked almost lost, gaze lowering to where Sehun was still holding on to the hem of Yixing’s sweater, and the beta’s stomach twisted with a fresh bout of nerves. Luhan’s eyebrows gave that little wiggle, where he wasn’t sure if he wanted to raise them or pull them together for a small frown and Sehun’s breath lodged in his throat as he waited for what was about to come next.  
  
But a second later a typical Luhan-grin appeared on the alpha’s face – easy-going, almost lazy and utterly _beautiful_ – and the beta felt something inside of him deflate with acute disappointment.  
  
“Nice to meet you, Yixing.”  
  
The two alphas shook hands and the polite gesture made Sehun feel just a little – _a lot_ – like crying.  
  
  
  
They were quickly swept up into the conversation their arrival had interrupted, but Sehun barely paid any attention. Instead he stayed close to Yixing, burrowed into his side on the couch and let the alpha’s steady presence soothe away some of the hurt clawing at the inside of his chest.  
  
“What if he doesn’t care? What if he’s _relieved_ that I’m staying away from him?” Sehun whispered, feeling stricken and scared and horribly unsure about everything. This entire thing had been an awful mistake. Tao had been wrong. Sehun didn’t actually want to find out about Luhan’s true feelings for him anymore, not if it meant he was going to have to face the older man’s indifference. The beta just barely kept himself from stealing a glance at Luhan, seated on the other end of the large, L-shaped couch.  
  
“He isn’t.”  
  
Sehun was completely taken aback by the conviction in Yixing’s low-pitched voice, eyes searching his face for an explanation, but the alpha’s pleasant smile told him absolutely nothing.  
  
“Why are you so sure?”  
  
“I just am.”  
  
“Tell me.”  
  
“No.”  
  
Another hit of surprise, before indignation swamped over him full-force. “Why not?!”  
  
“Because you’re a horrible actor and you’d give yourself away within the hour. So just believe me when I tell you, he isn’t relieved and he definitely cares.”  
  
Caught somewhere between _royally pissed off_ and _stupidly relieved_ , Sehun shot Yixing an exasperated glare before hunching down further into his seat.  
  
 _Stubborn, bossy alphas._  
  
And really, the expression on the shorter man’s face really wasn’t helping.  
  
“Don’t.”  
  
Yixing didn’t seem to know what Sehun was talking about, blinking down at him in confusion, the remnants of an indulgently amused smile still lingering on his lips. “What?”  
  
“You had that look in your eyes, like you were about to pinch my cheeks or something like that.”  
  
Another full-blown grin appeared on Yixing’s face and despite his frustration with the alpha, Sehun had to clamp down the urge to reach up and poke his dimples.  
  
“Actually I wasn’t, but now that you mention it…”  
  
“I mean it, don’t even think about it.”  
  
“Too late.”  
  
And with that they were somehow wrestling on the couch. Not even he could tell if he was laughing or cursing, as Yixing pinned him down and Sehun did his best to avoid the alpha’s quick hands – but the shorter man was a lot stronger than he looked. By the time Yixing decided to have mercy on him, the beta was completely out of breath, face flushed, from the feeling of it, and brown hair probably a complete mess on top of his head.  
  
“I like him.”  
  
Turning around at Chanyeol’s booming statement, Sehun found himself the focus of his entire group of friends. Tao and Jongin, where they were curled up together on the single armchair, had identical grins on their faces, while Chanyeol and Jongdae weren’t even trying to hide their laughter. But it was the last person his gaze fell on that had his heart twisting strangely in his chest – as always. Unlike the rest of them, Luhan didn’t seem overly interested or amused by the situation, expression unreadable as he toyed with the partially peeled-off label of his beer bottle.  
  
He was barely aware of Yixing replying to Chanyeol, only listening with half an ear as Jongdae and Tao joined in on the lively argument, because suddenly Luhan was looking at him and the smile on his face had Sehun’s stomach twisting miserably along with his heart.  
  
  
  
Sehun had actually just wanted to refill his glass, but for the last few minutes he’d simply stood at the sink, empty glass on the counter next to him, and stared out the small kitchen window. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed to get away from the mayhem in the living room until he’d stepped into the blessedly empty kitchen. Being in the same room as Luhan, but going against every instinct by keeping his distance, was exhausting in ways he could have never expected. It felt like fur being stroked the wrong way and neither Yixing’s settling company, nor sitting sandwiched between his two best friends, had been able to alleviate the building pressure in his chest. It had taken escaping to the kitchen for him to realize how close to the snapping point he’d truly been.  
  
His gaze was constantly drawn to Luhan, body vibrating with the need to get up from his seat and curl up in front of the alpha, back pressed against Luhan’s legs, like he would have usually done. But he _couldn’t_. Tao had been damned clear with his instructions. Only minimal physical contact, no obvious staring and definitely none of that ‘snapping to immediate attention as soon as Luhan so much as moves’ business. He was pretty sure he hated Tao.  
  
Sehun wasn’t even sure what pissed him off more – how pathetically weak he was where Luhan was concerned, or how little effect their plan seemed to be having. Luhan was his usual good-natured and sarcastic self and Sehun had done his best to joke around and reply to him as normally as possible. Just from a distance this time.  
  
Sehun just wanted to go home.  
  
Actually, what he really wanted was to march back out there, crawl into Luhan’s lap and stay there for the rest of the evening – let Luhan stroke his fingers through Sehun’s hair and curl one of his hands around his thigh. He knew the alpha would do it, he had always been too generous with his touches and affections where Sehun was concerned, so the only thing keeping Sehun in place was the knowledge that it would mean something entirely different to Luhan than it would mean to him. And he was done pretending that it didn’t hurt him.  
  
Breathing out on a sigh that was entirely drowned out by the noise from the living room, Sehun considered how much longer he would be able to hide out here before people noticed his absence, when he felt his spine straightening and muscles tense. He would have probably been alarmed if he weren’t so uncomfortably familiar with that particular reaction. Turning around at the same moment the other man’s scent registered, he watched Luhan stroll into the kitchen, gait relaxed as his gaze swept Sehun from head to toe. It was another thing Sehun had gotten used to a long time ago, the alpha’s quick check, as if to make sure everything was alright with ‘his little Sehunnie’. That thought alone was enough to have the corners of Sehun’s mouth turning down sulkily, even as his heart gave that happy jump at the mere sight of Luhan.  
  
“There you are. I was wondering where you disappeared to,” Luhan commented, heading straight for the fridge and getting himself another beer. Raising his eyebrows in question, he waited for Sehun’s “thanks, I’m good” before he let the door fall shut again.  
  
Sehun clenched his fingers around the edge of the counter behind him, agitation rising inside of him like foam on the crest of a wave. He didn’t think being alone with Luhan was a good idea. His body was already pulling tight in his attempt to keep himself from moving closer, the alpha’s presence a siren’s song to his starved heart, and he really doubted he would be able to keep himself in place much longer. The next second Luhan took matters into his own hands, as he stepped up to him and set down the unopened bottle. Reaching up, he gave his chin that familiar, playful tap and Sehun nuzzled into the touch before he had a chance to stop himself, chasing Luhan’s hand before it could retreat fully, and a second later Luhan was pulling him into a laughing hug. Sehun really – _really_ – hoped he wasn’t just imagining the relief in the relaxed sound and muffled a breathy whine against the alpha’s shoulder.  
  
His embrace was warm, comforting and heart-breaking at the same time, and the younger man cursed himself for missing it so damn much. But for one sweet moment he just let himself enjoy. He felt safe and loved in Luhan’s arms – like everything was alright with the world.  
  
“Where have you been?” Luhan’s quiet voice ruffled the hair at his temple and Sehun attempted the impossible by burrowing deeper into Luhan’s hug.  
  
“Just taking a break from all the craziness. I thought it would be a good idea to step out when Tao and Chanyeol started rapping.”  
  
He expected Luhan to laugh, but instead he felt the alpha’s fingers tighten their grip on his shoulder.  
  
“I meant this week. You even called off our weekly coffee date. The last time that happened was two years ago and the only reason you didn’t show up was because you were lying in bed with a fever and your mom wouldn’t let you leave the house.”  
  
There was an emotion in Luhan’s voice that Sehun couldn’t place, but it still made his heart clench with a mix of guilt and elation at the realization that Luhan remembered. Sehun had been miserable that day, more affected by his inability to go see Luhan than his pounding headache and sore throat. But half an hour later Luhan had climbed in through his window, somehow managing to balance one cup of coffee for himself and a cup of tea for Sehun, as he crawled into bed with the beta, and everything had been alright again.  
  
It had been around that time that Sehun had realized his feelings for Luhan might no longer be as friendly as they had been before, but he hadn’t minded. It had felt right, it had felt good. It had all seemed so easy back then. At that time he hadn’t cared about the fact that Luhan still saw him as a kid, feeling happy and secure in his knowledge that the alpha loved him, even if it was a different kind of love than Sehun’s.  
  
It was when Luhan shifted slightly against his side that Sehun realized he still hadn’t answered the question. Not that he could actually tell him the truth.  
  
“Sorry. I’m just really busy.”  
  
There was a short pause, as if Luhan wanted to ask something or call him out on his obvious excuse, before he made a non-committal humming sound and nuzzled the crown of Sehun’s head. It had been the briefest hesitation, but of course Sehun noticed, like he noticed so many things about Luhan, and once again he wasn’t sure if he was more relieved at being let off the hook or frustrated that Luhan never asked the important questions.  
  
“Don’t be a stranger, Sehun. I missed you.”  
  
Sehun’s chest shuddered as he was hit by twin waves of misery and joy. It wasn’t fair that Luhan could do these things to him – make Sehun curse him yet want to melt into his skin at the same time. It wasn’t fair because right there, in the middle of Jongdae’s kitchen, curled into Luhan’s side, he felt himself falling just a little bit more in love with the other man.  
  
  
  
  
“He likes you.”  
  
Completely focused on plucking the revolting pieces of onion from his tuna pizza, it took Sehun a few moments to realize Yixing was talking to him. “Huh?”  
  
“Luhan. He likes you,” Yixing repeated from where he was seated across the cafeteria table from him, infinitely more patient than any of Sehun’s other friends. Tao and Jongin would have definitely teased him about being too distracted by thoughts of Luhan again, while said alpha would have probably flicked his forehead with an indulgent “focus, brat”. Yixing, on the other hand, was just sitting there, chin propped up on his open palm and looking at him with a thoughtful expression on his face.  
  
“I know. Luhan not liking me was never the problem. It’s just that he doesn’t like me the way I want him to.”  
  
“You’re not listening to me, Sehun. He _likes_ you. I’ve watched you two interact for the past two weeks and I’m 100% sure.”  
  
Sehun wanted to believe that so badly, he felt his entire body going taut with longing, but at the same time he just couldn’t. What if Yixing was wrong? What if he let himself believe, just to find himself faced with a different kind of reality? He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to deal with the disappointment.  
  
But Yixing obviously wasn’t about to give up that easily.  
  
“It’s like he has a Sehun-radar. He’s already watching the entrance before you even enter the room and the first thing he does when he sees you, is walk up to you so he can touch. He’s giving everyone the ‘hands off’ warning. And he’s _aware_ of you. He reacts to your slightest movements and little tells. I mean, just take last night. I thought it was actually quite warm while we watched that movie at your place, but he immediately gave you his sweater.”  
  
Sehun’s heart trembled wistfully at the words, but he resolutely stomped down on the tentative tendrils of hope. “That’s because he knows me so well. He knows I get cold easily and what I look like when I am. It doesn’t mean he… he… you know.”  
  
“But he’d have to be watching you to notice.”  
  
Sehun opened his mouth to reply, but found himself coming up completely blank. “But…”  
  
Contrary to the beta’s expectations, Yixing’s sigh was one of surrender, instead of exasperation, as he straightened up from his slouched over position and pinned Sehun with an unusually piercing stare, “Okay, I thought it might be better not to tell you this, because there’s no way you’d be able to keep it from Luhan, but I can tell you still can’t bring yourself to believe me…”  
  
“Wh-what is it?”  
  
The lump of nervousness and anticipation in Sehun’s throat was making it hard to breathe, as Yixing’s ominous words had his stomach swooping with a strange mix of hope and foreboding.  
  
“If I had been unmated the first time I met you, I still wouldn’t have made any advances. Do you want to know why?”  
  
“Because you don’t like me like that?”  
  
The dry comeback actually gave Yixing a momentary pause, before a quick grin flashed across his handsome face. “Apart from that.”  
  
Sehun thought he might as well humor the alpha, seeing how he obviously wasn’t about to let this go. “Why?”  
  
“Because you have the scent of another alpha all over you. Luhan’s scent.”  
  
The impact of those so casually spoken words had Sehun reeling back in his seat and his breath exploding out of his lungs with a choked-up gasp. But Yixing didn’t give him any time to deal with the bomb he had just dropped on him, clearly making use of Sehun’s utter speechlessness to keep going.  
  
“You mentioned the first time we met that you seem to attract all the alphas that aren’t interested in you, but it’s actually the other way around. It’s just that Luhan’s scent keeps away all the alphas that _are_ interested. He marked you and as far as other alphas are concerned you’re off limits. You might as well be mated.”  
  
 _Mated._  
  
“But… what about Tao and Jongin? Wouldn’t they have noticed if Luhan really marked me? They never said a word!”  
  
His own voice sounded strangely distant, as if someone else was uttering the words he felt slipping over his slightly numb lips.  
  
“I suspect it’s because they’ve been friends with you and Luhan for such a long time. Considering that you and Luhan basically grew up together, you’ve probably always smelled a bit like each other, so I guess they didn’t really notice or just wrote it off as their senses getting stronger with age.”  
  
“What about my scent? Does Luhan smell like me as well?” Sehun asked, cautiously, haltingly, voice barely audible over the din of the busy cafeteria. Because this was important. To him it was just as important to know if he was leaving his mark on Luhan in return and by the time Yixing gave him a small nod, his heart was all but pounding its way out of his throat.  
  
“Your mark on him isn’t quite as strong, but it’s there. I’m pretty sure it’s because a part of Luhan is still fighting his feelings for you. He hasn’t quite accepted his more than brotherly feelings, like you have. Marking, just like mating, is always a two-way thing. It doesn’t work unless both parties are ready to give in – to accept. Another alpha could try to mark you, even claim you, but your body would undoubtedly reject the claim. His or her scent wouldn’t stick to you and they could bite you all they wanted, but that wouldn’t magically create a bond between you two. Things would look a lot different if Luhan tried the same thing, though.”  
  
It was almost too much. He had expected a quiet, _normal_ lunch break and instead he was being offered everything he had wished for so desperately for the past two years.  
  
“But if he hasn’t accepted his feelings for me, why did he mark me in the first place? It makes no damn sense.”  
  
“Well, I can’t be sure, but I don’t think he’s aware of doing it.”  
  
“I’m not… I don’t…” spluttering with annoyance as words simply failed him, Sehun sent Yixing an almost pleading look across the table and watched tenderness warm those dark eyes.  
  
“I know it’s a lot to take in. I know you’re confused and just a little scared, but give it time. You’ve waited more than two years, you can wait a bit longer.” Sehun wasn’t so sure about that. “And keep an eye out for those give-aways… starting now.”  
  
The beta had no idea what Yixing was talking about, mind almost sluggish after the emotional upheaval of the last few minutes, but then he became aware of the movement in his peripheral vision and a second later Luhan let himself drop down on the bench next to him. For the first time in _years_ Sehun had been too caught up in his thoughts to notice Luhan’s approach. He almost felt the need to note it down in his diary. _Dear diary, today was the first time I didn’t snap to immediate attention the second Luhan entered the room. Progress._  
  
The tray Luhan set down so unceremoniously held nothing but a sandwich and an unopened can of sweetened black tea, but the alpha’s culinary choices only registered in passing, as Sehun’s entire attention zeroed in on the way the older man’s proximity had their thighs pressing together and arms brushing with every move.  
  
“You alright, Sehunnie? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Luhan gave him his usual once over, eyes sweeping his frozen form, before he turned his attention to the other alpha on the table. And for the first time Sehun noticed the slight chill in his voice, “Zhang.”  
  
To avoid having to come up with an answer, Sehun shoved a gigantic bite of pizza into his mouth, his action successfully breaking the peculiar tension, as both alphas turned to him with looks of entertained bemusement. The beta thought he might as well be chewing on cardboard, his nerves somehow erasing all sense of taste. It was only several moments later that Sehun dared to look up from his suddenly, _incredibly interesting_ plate at the sound of Yixing’s unsuccessfully contained laughter.  
  
The alpha was grinning at him from across the table, eyes sparkling with barely contained merriment. “Maybe you really are a kid.”  
  
With that Yixing was reaching out, Sehun still blinking at him in confusion, but before his outstretched hand could actually reach him, another hand – _Luhan’s hand_ – was slapping it away with an almost casual flick of his wrist.  
  
“Stop fussing. He’s not a kid. He can wipe his own mouth.”  
  
 _He’s not a kid._ Sehun knew it was most likely just an offhand comment, but hearing those words from Luhan, even more than seeing the way he looked at Yixing with an almost pissed-off frown, had a blinding kind of joy spreading through his chest.  
  
The beta could hear Luhan mutter something about ‘touchy assholes’ in a tone that was on the brink of slipping into annoyance. And all the while he was scaldingly aware of the press of Luhan’s thigh to his beneath the table, and the way he reached over to curl his fingers around Sehun’s wrist just a few minutes later.  
  
The look Yixing sent him over the table couldn’t have spelled “what did I tell you?” more strongly if his life had depended on it.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sehun woke to morning-light filtering through the heavy drapes in front of his window and cozy warmth engulfing him. He woke to a thigh wedged between his own, a body pressed to his back, an arm thrown across his middle and a hand resting low on his belly, fingertips just barely brushing the waistband of his boxers. Sehun woke surprised, but without a hint of confusion.  
  
The beta knew exactly who it was. The familiar, warm scent would have been more than enough to reveal the identity of the person curled so protectively around him. But then there was really only one person that would just show up unannounced at his apartment and crawl into Sehun’s bed in the middle of the night.  
  
Letting his breath out on a soft little hum, Sehun tried to keep himself from turning around and burying his face against Luhan's chest. The urge was so strong, he had to clench down on the blanket clutched in his hands and focus on the sensation of Luhan’s chest pressed up against his back. He knew the alpha wouldn't appreciate him shifting around in bed, knew it would only earn him a displeased growl and a sharp tightening of the fingers on his waist. If there was one thing he had learned during all these nights of sleeping next to Luhan, it was that waking him up in the morning was never a pleasant experience.  
  
With the need to cuddle impossibly closer and draw in the scent of his warm skin with every breath still an electric undercurrent on his mind, Sehun forced himself to stay still and just enjoy the closeness. Within moments he was melting into Luhan's hold, muscles of his back loosening as the alpha's scent and warmth slowly lulled him back into that state of almost-sleep.  
  
He didn’t think he had moved, but suddenly the arm tightened around his middle, a barely audible growl coming from the alpha behind him. It was more of a lazy protest, no real threat behind the rumbling sound, but Sehun found himself freezing nevertheless, whimper caught in his throat at the feeling of Luhan so warm and hard against his backside.  
  
Still… it was as if his body had a will of its own and the next second he was pressing back against the alpha, back arching almost languidly. There was no laziness or sleep left in the growl that followed his instinctive straining to get closer, instead it had every hair on his body stand on end with primal awareness.  
  
Luhan’s lips were soft against his nape, hand splaying wide on his stomach, and the scent of _alpha_ was so strong, so overwhelming, Sehun could all but taste it on his tongue. As soon as his only half awake mind registered what the alpha was doing, the younger man was sitting upright so abruptly, he probably scared his friend half to death.  
  
“What the-“  
  
“Were you scent marking me again?”  
  
The alpha looked sleep-rumpled, softer than Sehun was used to and just a little bit vulnerable, as he sat there and just stared at him with tired, wide eyes. And for once Sehun didn’t care that Luhan was an alpha and he a beta, he needed Luhan to answer the damn question before he ran out of courage. “Luhan, _were you marking me_?”  
  
The sharpness of Sehun’s tone finally seemed to pierce the haze of sleep and the shocked look on the alpha’s face told Sehun everything he needed to know. Yixing had been right after all. Luhan really hadn’t been aware of doing it.  
  
“Luhan…”  
  
“I wouldn’t have to if he’d just stop touching you all the damn time. I hate it when he touches you. He needs to fucking stop.” Sehun didn’t have to ask to know who the older man was talking about, face dark and brows pulled together in acute displeasure. “Please don’t be mad.”  
  
Sehun didn’t think he actually had it in him to get mad at Luhan anytime soon, not with the way his heart was deciding his throat was a good resting place, settling right beside the words that were desperately trying to push their way out. Words he had pushed down for two years. Words that were finally rising to the surface.  
  
“I like you. I like you a lot. And I’m fine with you marking me as long as I get to mark you in return.”  
  
Sehun had expected to be hit with a lurch of nausea after laying himself open like that, after finally opening himself up for rejection, but what he hadn’t been able to foresee was the bubbling of relief inside his chest. Or the sizzle of pride and rightness in his veins. Feelings as strong as his weren’t meant to be contained, to be hidden away and kept secret. And even if Luhan didn’t actually feel the same way about him, at least he’d _tried_.  
  
There was an almost endless array of emotions cascading over his friend’s beautiful face – relief, just a hint of panic and a sheer bottomless kind of joy. What Sehun didn’t find was surprise.  
  
“You knew.”  
  
A hesitant, almost guilty nod.  
  
“How long?” But Sehun didn’t actually need his friend to answer. _He just knew_. “You’ve known since the beginning, haven’t you?”  
  
He wasn’t even sure what he was feeling as Luhan replied with a quiet, but steady “yes”.  
  
 _I should probably be angry._ It was a hazy thought, floating away without a trace as Luhan started to talk.  
  
“You weren’t exactly subtle about it, so of course I noticed when your feelings for me started to change. Back then I wasn’t overly concerned, I thought it was just a crush, perfectly normal and healthy for a boy – man – your age. I thought it would pass, thought you’d eventually find someone else, but the crush didn’t go away and you never even looked at anyone else.” A short pause and suddenly there was an almost pleading undercurrent to Luhan’s voice. “Your feelings for me haven’t changed, right?”  
  
For a few precious seconds Sehun was too stunned at the sudden revelation, too _something_ to answer, but the growing agitation in Luhan’s eyes all but forced the words over his lips.  
  
“They haven’t. I’m still in love with you.”  
  
He didn’t even care that he was making it way too easy for the older man, when he’d been pining for him for _two fucking years_. Not when Luhan’s shoulders dropped with a shudder of pure relief, tension draining out of him like lukewarm water from an unplugged tub, and Sehun felt his own heart tremble at the sight. When Luhan continued to speak, there was a new kind of resolve to his tone, even as the worst of the urgency melted away.  
  
“The fact that you seemed so sure of your feelings for me worried me, but maybe I was too selfish to put an end to it. I didn’t want there to be any distance between us and deep down I loved that it has always just been me for you. And that scared me even more than the fact that you were in love with me.” Sehun didn’t miss the flash of heat in Luhan’s eyes at those last words. “All my life I’ve been watching out for you. You were such an adorable thing, always clinging to me, and I don’t even know when my feelings for you started to change, when I realized you weren’t a kid anymore. But I kept on pretending it didn’t piss me off when someone else was touching you or when you were paying attention to someone that wasn’t me. That having you cling to me didn’t just make me feel happy, it also made me feel alarmingly possessive in return. It was fine as long as I could pretend, but I guess that’s over now.”  
  
Sehun’s chest constricted painfully at the resignation in those words. “If you… you don’t have to… I mean-“  
  
His panicked rambling was cut off by the soft touch of Luhan’s fingers to his cheek, the older man carefully cradling the side of Sehun’s face.  
  
“I know I’m messing this up, but I need you to know that I love you as well, even though it’s scary as hell to admit it to myself.” Sehun couldn’t talk, couldn’t even open his mouth, as he felt his eyes sting with the undeniable signs of incipient tears. _Luhan loved him._ “I’m sorry it took me so long to come around and I’m even sorrier that you basically had to shake the words out of me.”  
  
It was incredible, but Luhan’s self-deprecating statement actually made Sehun want to smile. _Foolish alpha_. “I’ve wanted nothing more than to be your mate for the past two years. I’ve had enough time to get used to the idea of being in love with my best friend. But there’s no rule that says you have to claim each other right away. We can just date until you’re more comfortable with the thought of being, you know, more than just my friend.”  
  
“Date?” Sehun was relieved to realize that Luhan’s voice was back to its usual, melodiously deep tone – all traces of that untypical waver gone.  
  
“Yeah, you know, go on dates, hold hands, do all that other coupley stuff.”  
  
“So basically… business as usual?”  
  
That gave Sehun a brief pause, before he continued talking with a grin spreading on his face. “Only now I get to call you my boyfriend and I’m allowed to snarl at everyone who tries to get close to you.”  
  
“That last part really isn’t anything new either.”  
  
Well, Luhan definitely had him there.  
  
“Fine, I get to snarl at people _without feeling foolish afterwards_ ,” he eventually amended, before he snapped upright from his slight slouch, as another idea floated to the forefront of his mind. “Oh! And you have to kiss me, every time you call me ‘kid’. That’s non-negotiable.”  
  
“What? Why?” The alpha looked adorably puzzled at the firm request, brows drawn together in a confused frown.  
  
“It’s to cancel out the fact that it makes me feel like a five-year-old,” Sehun grumbled, not appreciating the cheeky grin his complaint had flashing up on Luhan’s face.  
  
“That’ll mean a lot of kissing, though.” The older man didn’t seem overly concerned by the fact. “I’m kind of fond of the nickname.”  
  
In all honesty, Sehun was as well – at least now that he knew that the alpha’s feelings for him weren’t even remotely brotherly – but Luhan didn’t have to know that, so he just settled for a sassy little shrug.  
  
“Fine. I can live with that, _kid_.”  
  
  
  
  
✧  
  
  
  
  
“Hands off, Zhang.”  
  
The growled words had Yixing pulling his hand away from the small of Sehun’s back, smile completely unrepentant as he met Luhan’s displeased scowl over the younger man’s shoulder. The beta wasn’t the least bit surprised by the sharp tug on his shirt or the way Luhan attached himself to his back, arms coming around him and hands slipping possessively into the pockets of his jeans.  
  
“I turn around for one second and you have your hands all over my boyfriend. I swear to God, I’ll rat you out to Minseok and I won’t even feel bad about it.” Another glare, before it melted off into a smug grin. “He likes me better than you anyway.”  
  
“That’s because you sucked up to him with soccer-talk, asshole.”  
  
And suddenly Sehun found himself in the middle of two scowling alphas – but instead of alarm, all the beta felt was the warm tingle of contentment. And a whole lot of amusement.  
  
For all their scowling and mutual insults, Sehun knew that Luhan and Yixing liked each other just fine. Now that Luhan was aware of the fact that Yixing was blissfully mated, his animosity towards the other alpha had lessened considerably. And even though Luhan still growled every time Yixing got too close to Sehun, he was pretty sure the two alphas were actually starting to become friends. In retaliation for Yixing’s touchiness, Luhan had simply taken to calling Minseok and flirting outrageously, every time he caught the other alpha with his hands anywhere near Sehun.  
  
Months ago the mere thought of Luhan flirting with _anyone_ – mated or not – would have had him bristling with jealous irritation. These days he just listened with laughter bubbling up from his chest, usually from his curled up position against Luhan, and let the knowledge of Luhan’s love for him warm him from the inside out. Yixing was a lot less entertained by said development, but it never kept him from sneaking touches whenever he thought he could get away with them.  
  
“You don’t have to call Minseok. I’ll do it myself and then I’ll tell him how mean you are to me. He’s finally coming back to Korea next month and he’ll kick your ass.”  
  
Like the grown up men they were, the two alphas stuck their tongues out at each other, before Sehun’s snort had them jerking back like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.  
  
“Anyway, I’m going to give Tao a call. He and Jongin should have been here ten minutes ago.”  
  
Sehun was only peripherally aware of Yixing taking a few steps away from them, entirely distracted by the way Luhan turned him around in his arms, before his hands settled on the curve of his ass - not squeezing, but fingers digging into the plush flesh just hard enough to have the beta trying to shift closer with a breathy sigh. Either completely unaware or not caring about the other people lining up in front of the movie theater, Luhan nuzzled his nose against the line of Sehun’s neck and the beta’s head tipped back with another quiet sound of surrender. The alpha had been doing this a lot lately, pressing close to Sehun’s bare skin and breathing him in again and again – often for minutes at a time.  
  
“I like the way you smell so much like me,” he’d always say, making Sehun roll his eyes at the pure _alphaness_ of the words. But these days the feeling of Luhan’s mouth on his neck – _his teeth so close to his neck_ – had Sehun melting against his boyfriend with something he couldn’t pretend was anything but pure longing.  
  
Of course the alpha noticed, his exhaled breath a satisfied purr against the younger man’s skin, but unlike all the other times, Luhan didn’t start to run his hands down the arch of Sehun’s back in long, soothing strokes. Instead he pulled Sehun down with a hand on his nape and pressed their lips together for a kiss so deep, so crackling with tension, the beta felt the electric currents all the way down to his toes - toes that wanted to curl as Luhan caught Sehun’s lower lip between his teeth, drew the plush flesh into his mouth and had the beta’s hands clutching at the cool fabric of Luhan’s jacket.  
  
There was a maddening kind of focus to the way the alpha kissed him, the way he nuzzled the underside of Sehun’s jaw when the beta had to break away for some much needed air. Sehun loved the way Luhan held him firmly against his warm body, the way his scent seemed to wrap itself around him so possessively.  
  
There was heat flickering in Luhan’s eyes as he eventually pulled away, leaving Sehun gasping for more than just his next breath.  
  
“Later.” The alpha’s voice was rough with emotion, the single word sending another shiver of pleasurable awareness down Sehun’s spine.  
  
It was a promise.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Adele for betaing this for me!


End file.
